On The Flip Side of Hollywood In contrast to the ideals, opinions and feelings of today's "Hollywonk" the real actors of yester-year loved the United States. They had both class and integrity. With the advent of World War many of our best loved Hollywood actors, directors and writers went to fight rather than stand and rant against this country we all love. They gave up their wealth, position and fame to become service men & women, many as simple "enlisted men". This page lists but a few, but from this group of men came over 130 medals in honor of their valor, spanning from Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, Distinguish Service Cross', Purple Hearts and one Congressional Medal of Honor. So remember; while the "Entertainers of 2003" have been in all of the news media lately (for it seems News Paper, Television and Radio has been more than ready to put them and their anti-American, anti-Bush message before the public) I would like to remind the people of what the entertainers of 1943 were doing, (60 years ago). Most of these brave men have since passed on. The Real Hollywood vs Hollywonk! Real Hollywood Heroes Robert Montgomery, was already an Oscar winning actor before the war; having started in motion pictures in 1929. After World War II broke out in Europe, Montgomery enlisted in London for American field service and drove ambulances in France until the Dunkirk evacuation. Upon Americaâs entrance into the war, Montgomery joined the U.S. Navy and served as naval attache on British destroyers hunting U-boats. He attended torpedo boat school, became a PT boat commander, and participated in the D-Day invasion on board a destroyer. Montgomery served five years of active war duty, was awarded a Bronze Star, and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Ronald Reagan interrupted his acting career in 1942 and served for three years in the U.S. Army, for which he made training films. After he was discharged, with the rank of captain. Following the end of WW II he was elected president of the Screen Actor's Guild in 1947. He went on to become the 40th President of the United States on January 20th, 1981 serving two consecutive terms. Alec Guinness (Star Wars) operated a British Royal Navy landing craft in the invasion of Sicily and Elba and later ferrying supplies to the Yugoslav partisans under Lt. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. James Doohan ("Scotty" on Star Trek) while landing in Normandy on D-Day was wounded in the leg and hand; losing a finger. The he retrained as a pilot, earned a commission, and completed the war serving as a Pilot Artillery Observer. Donald Pleasance (The Great Escape) really was an R. A. F. pilot who was shot down, held prisoner and tortured by the Germans. James Arness served in the U.S. Army and was wounded at Anzio. He received both the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal for Valor. David Niven was a Sandhurst graduate and Lt. Colonel of the British Commandos in Normandy. James Stewart Entered the Army Air Force as a private and worked his way to the rank of Colonel. During World War II, Stewart served as a bomber pilot, his service record crediting him with leading more than 20 missions over Germany, and taking part in hundreds of air strikes during his tour of duty. Stewart earned the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, France's Croix de Guerre, and 7 Battle Stars during World War II. In 1959, while in the USAFR, he was promoted to BrigGenl, the highest ranking actor in military history (but would not allow his war record to be used in movies or as publicity). Trivia: SSgt Walter Matthau (not an actor at the time) served under him as a B-24 crewman. Ed McMahon earned his wings as a Marine Flighter Pilot in 1944 and became an instructor teaching carrier landings and a test pilot. After World War II, he remained in the Marine Reserves and his television career was interrupted in 1952 when he was called back into the Marine Corps. He flew 85 combat missions in Korea. Later he retired from the Marines as a full Colonel. Sterling Hayden was in the U.S. Marines, where he served in the O.S.S. working with Tito and Yugoslav partisans. Clark Gable (Mega-Movie Star when war broke out) Although he was beyond the draft age at the time the U.S. entered WW II, Clark Gable enlisted as a private in the AAF on Aug. 12, 1942 at Los Angeles. He attended the Officers' Candidate School at Miami Beach, Fla. and graduated as a second lieutenant on Oct. 28, 1942. He then attended aerial gunnery school and in Feb. 1943 he was assigned to the 351st Bomb Group at Polebrook where he flew operational missions over Europe in B-17s. Capt. Gable returned to the U.S. in Oct. 1943 and was relieved from active duty as a major on Jun. 12, 1944 at his own request, since he was over-age for combat. Henry Fonda stopped his movie career and joined the U. S. Navy in 1943, serving until his return in 1946. Charlton Heston was an Army Air Corps Sergeant in Kodiak. Earnest Borgnine was a U. S. Navy Gunners Mate . Charles Durning was a U. S. Army Ranger at Normandy earning a Silver Star and awarded the Purple Heart. Charles Bronson (Buchinsky), was a tail gunner with 25 missions; received the Purple Heart in the Army Air Corps. Glenn Ford; When the United States entered World War II Glenn enlisted in the Marines. Among his numerous medals and commendations are the French Legion of Honor for his service in France during World War II. Following his WWII service, he transferred his commission to the U. S. Naval Reserves. He retired as a Captain in the US Naval Reserve. George C. Scott was a decorated U. S. Marine Sgt. Eddie Albert (Green Acres TV) was awarded a Bronze Star for his heroic action as a U. S. Naval officer aiding Marines at the horrific battle on the island of Tarawa in the Pacific Nov. 1943. Brian Keith served as a U.S. Marine rear gunner in several actions against the Japanese on Rabal in the Pacific. Lee Marvin was a U.S. Marine on Saipan during the Marianas campaign when he was wounded earning the Purple Heart. Harold Russell joined the U.S. Army on Dec. 8, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, as an instructor in the parachute corps. Sgt. Russell was working as an explosives expert in 1944 when a defective fuse exploded a charge of TNT he was holding as he instructed a demolition squad at Camp Mackall, N.C. Both hands were amputated. For his performance in "Best Years of our Lives" (1946), Russell won both the Academy Award as the year's Best Supporting Actor and a second, honorary Oscar "for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans." He is the only actor ever to win two Oscars for the same role. He became an avid advocate for the disabled for the rest of his life and served three terms as the commander of AMVETS. John Russell: In 1942, he enlisted in the Marine Corps where he received a battlefield commission and was wounded and highly decorated for valor at Guadalcanal. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr: Served first as a goodwill ambassador and later as a Naval Officer from , Fairbanks was appointed by President Roosevelt for a commission as a lieutenant j.g. in the Navy Reserves. He became the first American officer to command a British flotilla of small powered raiding craft during a commando operation in World War II. In 1942 he was chief officer of Special Operations, and in 1943 participated in the allied invasion of Sicily and Elba. Following the war Fairbanks remained in the Reserves and worked his way up from Navy lieutenant to commander and finally, in 1954 to captain. Robert Ryan was a U. S. Marine who served with the O. S. S. Tyrone Power (an established movie star when Pearl Harbor was bombed) joined the U.S. Marines, was a pilot flying supplies into, and wounded Marines out of, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Neville Brand served in the U. S. Army during WWII. He received the Silver star while convalescing at the 21st General Hospital for gallantry in combat. His other awards and decorations are the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Defense Service Ribbon, the European/African/Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with three Battle Stars, one Overseas Service Bar, one Service Stripe, and the Combat Infantryman's Badge. Audie Murphy, little 5'5" tall 110 pound guy from Texas who played cowboy parts? Most Decorated serviceman of WWII and earned: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Silver Star Medals, Legion of Merit, 2 Bronze Star Medals with "V", 2 Purple Hearts, U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, 2 Distinguished Unit Emblems, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France) World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar, Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar, French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre, French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier, French Croix de Guerre With Silver Star, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Medal of Liberated France, Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm. The List of Those Who Served Doesn't End ThereMore Stars, Directors, Writers and Producers Richard Boone, USN TBF crewman Red Buttons, USAAF Cpl Frank Capra, USAAF-FMPU Col Lee J Cobb, USAAF-FMPU Cpl William Conrad, USN pilot Jackie Coogan, USAAF glider pilot; CBI theater Joseph Cotten, USAAF-FMPU Norman Fell, USAAF Sgt B-25 gunner John Ford, USN Capt Larry Forrester, RAF pilot George Gobel, USAAF Lt B-26 flight instructor Walter Grauman, RAF B-25 pilot Rex Harrison, RAF flight controller Mitchell Healy, USAF Lt bombardier Van Heflin, USAAF-FMPU Lt George Roy Hill, USMC F4U pilot William Holden, USAAF-FMPU Tim Holt, USAAF Lt B-29 bombardier Rock Hudson, (Roy Fitzgerald), USN Russell Johnson, USAAF Lt USAAF William Keighley, USAAF command staff 8th AF Arthur Kennedy, USAAF-FMPU Norman Krasna, USAAF-FMPU Alan Ladd, USAAF-FMPU Sgt Harold Livingston, USAF C-46 pilot 8th AF Jock Mahoney, USN F4U pilot Karl Malden, USAAF Cpl Walter Matthau, USAAF SSgt 8th AF; 435 BG Kevin McCarthy, USAAF Sgt Gary Merrill, USAAF Cpl air crew Ray Milland, USAAF flight instructor Glenn Miller, USAAF Maj Special Services (KIA) Cameron Mitchell, USAAF Lt bombardier George Montgomery, USAAF-FMPU Barry Nelson, USAAF Paul Newman, USN TBM crewman Edmond O'Brien, USAAF Cpl Laurence Olivier, RNAS utility pilot with 757 Sqn Tom Poston, USN pilot Robert Preston, USAF Intelligence officer 9th AF Gene Raymond, USAAF Intelligence 8th AF; 97 BG George Reeves, USAAF Sgt Lowell Rich, USAAF B-29 navigator Ralph Richardson, RNAS pilot 757 Sqn Dale Robertson, USAF pilot ATC Gene Roddenberry, USAAF C-46/C-47 pilot 8th AF Andy Rooney, USAAF correspondent Stars & Stripes Martin Ritt, USAAF PFC Peter Sellers, RAF ground crew Kent Smith, USAAF-FMPU Craig Stevens, USAAF-FMPU George Stevens, USAAF-FMPU Col Ralph Story, USAAF P-51 pilot 9th AF Don Taylor, USAAF-FMPU David Tomlinson, RAF flight instructor Jack Warner, USAAF-FMPU LtCol Dennis Weaver, USN pilot Woody Woodbury, USMC pilot William Wyler, USAAF-FMPU LtCol Darryl F Zanuck, USAAF-FMPU Col So how do you feel the real heroes of the silver screen acted when compared to the hollywonks today who spray out anti-American drivel as they bite the hand that feeds them? Can you imagine these stars of yester-year saying they hate our flag, making anti-war speeches, marching in anti-American parades and saying they hate the president? I thought not, neither did I! If you enjoyed the story of American Pride on this page please use the bar below to share it with your friends who also might enjoy this special awards page by the PalletMaster's Workshop. NEXT BACK HOME "There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval." PalletMaster's Workshop®.